Help Us Stop Boycotts Against Israel (BDS Movement)

The Global BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) Movement wants to abolish the Jewish state of Israel - it descends on our communities, proposing that stores boycott all Israeli products. BDS leaders want to destroy Israel and vilify Jews in the process. They will leave us divided in their wake unless we organize!

Pages

Stop the biased reporting on the Huffington Post against Israel. The Israeli people have suffered unrelenting rocket attacks for years now. If this was happening against the United States we would put up with it for about one second. Why does Israel have to tolerate this kind of behavior on the part of the Palestinians?

With regards to the recent murders on both sides, it is interesting that Israel is the only one to make arrests. The Palestinians condone murder and do not seem interested in bringing the guilty ones to justice.

Huffington Post, you are one-side in your reporting and attempting to make Israel look bad. You headline the death of every Palestinian even though Israel has made warnings to people to let them get out of the areas that are going to be bombed. In today's headline you feature "disabled" people who died in an attempt to ratchet up the emotional response against Israel. You never seem to mention the three murdered teens - you don't feature their funerals and their parents crying over their deaths. You only feature the grief of Palestinians.

Stop the biased reporting against Israel - you undermine your credibility as a news service!

The Free Gaza" Flotilla II campaign appears to be a flop. Leaders of the international community essentially pulled the plug on what they recognized as a provocative and potentially dangerous anti-Israel publicity stunt.

Flotilla organizers had planned to launch ten to fifteen ships with self-described 'peace activist' passengers on board in an attempt to violate Israel's naval blockade of the Hamas-held Gaza Strip. They hoped to provoke Israel into a military response that would be widely publicized and severely condemned by the international community.

But things are not working out as they had hoped. The flotilla boats gathered in Greek ports, but Greece is refusing to give them permission to sail. Some boats ran into mechanical problems. Others ran into problems with insurers who, alerted to the flotilla's purposes, feared potential liability. Most important, the US, UN, EU, Greece, Canada, and France all were extremely critical of the flotilla and underscored that it was an unnecessary provocation that endangered passengers.

These international leaders laid out clear facts and principles that refuted the flotilla organizers. accusations against Israel and that undermine the accusations made in other campaigns to delegitimize and demonize Israel, from the boycott movement to the scheduled 'flytilla' in which anti-Israel activists plan to fly into Ben Gurion Airport this Friday.

Flotilla organizers claimed Israel's naval blockade of Gaza was "illegal." International leaders underscored that it is, in fact, legal and that Israel is entitled to militarily enforce the blockade. As the Canadian Foreign Minister explained, "Canada recognizes Israel's legitimate security concerns and its right to protect itself and its residents from attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups, including by preventing the smuggling of weapons."[i] The organizers have been stopped short in their effort to misapply international law on naval blockades in order to single out and defame Israel.

The organizers claim that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been exposed as a ruse. The international community, including the International Red Cross, has made it clear that there is no humanitarian crisis and whatever goods are needed can be delivered through legal, official entry points where they can be inspected for weapons. "We want to just reiterate that there are established and efficient mechanisms for getting humanitarian assistance through to Gaza." US State Department Spokesman Mark Toner, June 1, 2011[ii]

The international community recognized that the flotilla was not on a humanitarian mission, but rather engaged in a provocation that was intended to trigger violence by compelling Israel to enforce the blockade militarily. They held the flotilla organizers, not Israel, responsible for any violence that might occur. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all Governments concerned to use their influence to discourage such flotillas, which carry the potential to escalate into violent conflict. Passengers on the American-flagged ship Audacity of Hope, were furious that the U.S. State Department refused to demand that Israel let them sail safely into Gaza, and instead warned the activists not to breach Israel's blockade.

The international community also recognized that the flotilla activists' primary aim was to lend support to Hamas, the Iranian proxy and a terrorist organization according to the EU, the US, Canada, and Japan. Corporations involved with the flotilla and passengers were warned that they could be held liable for aiding and abetting a designated terrorist organization which is a violation of American civil and criminal law.

The activists themselves have been exposed as extremists and agents provocateurs. It is now clear to the international community that members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas organized and raised money for the flotilla. Radical anti-Israel groups, like the International Solidarity Movement which has called Palestinian suicide bombing "noble" and Code Pink, whose leaders met with Iranian President Ahmadinejad and gave him advice about how to carry on his war against Israel, joined with the Islamists and brought often naive "peace activists" along with them.

Anti-Israel activists should learn from their flotilla failure. Their mission to cause potentially dangerous mischief is transparent, and is discrediting them in the eyes of the public. Their focus on Gaza, when just miles away Syrians are desperately fighting for their freedom from a brutal, dictatorial regime, exposes the warped values and priorities of their anti-Israel obsession. It is time for them to discard the extremism that propels them into their bitter vendettas against the Jewish state. If they are interested in improving the lives of Palestinians and Israelis, they should be promoting peaceful coexistence and negotiations, not engaging in political stunts that pervert international law and endanger their fellow travelers as well as Palestinians and Israelis.

Roz Rothstein is CEO of StandWithUs, the international Israel education organizations, and Dr. Seid is Education/Research Director of StandWithUs.

December 02, 2010 - Deborah Hirsch, Staff WriterIsraeli flags in hand, supporters of the Jewish state filed into the Center City Trader Joe's store on Tuesday to buy Israeli products as part of a national counterattack to the global "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" movement. Locally, Philly BDS launched a campaign against two brands of hummus in October.

Miniature Israeli flags in hand, supporters of the Jewish state filtered into the Center City Trader Joe's at lunchtime on Nov. 30 on a mission to buy Israeli products as part of a national counterattack to the global "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions" (BDS) movement.

Pro-Israel groups including StandWithUs and the America-Israel Chambers of Commerce last week declared Nov. 30 "Buy Israeli Goods Day" in response to rumors that anti-Israel groups affiliated with BDS had selected the same date for a national boycott.

The six-member board voted 4-2 against the proposal, saying that it was not consistent with its boycott policies.

An estimated 175 people attended the board meeting at the Quimper Universalist Unitarian Fellowship hall in Port Townsend.

The proposal sought the removal of several Israeli-made products from the co-op's shelves "until Israel stops violating international law and the rights of the Palestinian people."

"We have heard a great deal of impassioned testimony tonight," said board member Rick Sepler, who made the motion to reject the proposal.

"It came from people who really believe what they are saying, but I don't think it is the co-op board's responsibility to weigh in on these international issues."

The core of Sepler's motion was that the policy, which allows "a refusal to purchase and/or carry a product or company's product line that is not consistent with the Food Co-op's mission statement and principles" cannot be applied to a country.

The Conflict is Simple to Explain

What are the 3D's of Anti-Semitism?

STAND WITH US against BDS!

You will see in this video that the BDS Movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) wants nothing short of the absolute destruction of the Jewish state of Israel. Produced by Stand With Us - a wonderful organization that speaks out for Israel in the midst of these conflicts. You can see their video channel at:http://www.youtube.com/user/standwithus

Prager University: The Middle East Problem

Organizational Links

Our Video Channel

NOTE: The sponsors of this website know that Israel is not perfect - neither is the U.S. or any other country. However, Israel is a special refuge for Jews and many others around the world and should be protected as such. The sponsors of this website believe in a two state solution to resolve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

AN ALTERNATIVE: Instead of boycotts, which divide people and ascribe blame to one side or the other, you can support peace between Israelis and Palestinians by supporting organizations such as the NEW ISRAEL FUND, which sponsors projects of collaboration and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians.

I Have Never Forgotten You

I Have Never Forgotten You is a comprehensive look at the life and legacy of Simon Wiesenthal, the famed Nazi hunter and humanitarian. Narrated by Academy-Award®-winner Nicole Kidman, it features interviews with longtime Wiesenthal associates, government leaders from around the world, and friends and family members -many of whom have never discussed the legendary Nazi hunter and humanitarian on camera. What was the driving force behind his work? What kept him going when for years the odds were against his efforts? What is his legacy today, more than 60 years after the end of World War II?

A Blueprint for Palestinian State Planning

The RAND Corporation created this video to share their idea of creating an ARC of transportation and city hubs for the new Palestinian state constructed on the existing arc of raised terrain - effectively linking the northernmost cities of Palestine with Gaza.

Tumbalalaika (Let Us Be Merry!)

This young man has great insights about the dynamic that is playing out with the BDS movement.

Food Co-Op Policies Against the Boycott

The following policies direct the Port Townsend Food Co-Op to:

POLICY B8: EXECUTIVE LIMITATIONS

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND VALUE

B8.8 Ensure that the store not be utilized for political purposes; therefore, s/he shall not fail to:

B8.8.1 Ensure that signs, banners, newsletters and other materials endorsing or urging opposition to any (a) candidate(s) for public office, (b) referenda, propositions, resolutions or any other items on a public ballot, or (c) community matters not directly related to organic, natural and healthy foods, are not created by the Co-op nor displayed within the Co-op premises except that, with respect to item (c), petition gathering may be permitted at the store entrances so long as ingress and egress are not impeded.

This professor has great insights about the history and factors at play with the BDS movement and even the role of Jews within it - check it out!

Learn about all the wonderful contributions of Israelis to progress around the world and in so many areas of our lives!

This Palestinian man's life was almost taken by Arabs - but his life was saved by an Israeli soldier.

Buy Israeli Goods

"BIG" Campaign: Buy Israeli Goods - This campaign's strategy is to build a large community of shoppers who will request and purchase Israeli goods and services from retail establishments.

Israeli Soldiers Speaking Tour - The goal is to dispel anti-Israel stereotypes. There is nothing more powerful than real-life stories told by Israeli soldiers who were on the battlefield. Our speakers include some of Israel's best, brightest, and most articulate voices, selected and trained through our StandWithUs Israel Fellowship.

Port Townsend Under Seige by BDS Speakers!

BDS has brought its highly organized and divisive movement to our little Port Townsend and has inundated the town with speakers in support of their cause in an attempt to overwhelm the debate about the proposed boycott.

They make outlandish claims about Israel that are untrue and characterize Israelis as subhuman and murderous.

Help us stop BDS now!

Pablo Casals - Kol Nidrei (1923)

Israel News

Loading...

BDS - THE BLACKLIST, DEMONIZE AND SLANDER MOVEMENT

"We need to work together to stop the BDS movement – to stop this wave of boycott proposals that are being introduced throughout the Northwest now. Yes, right now it is your community affected. But if a boycott passes here, it will energize the BDS folks and many other communities, many other co-ops, many other Jewish communities will face the same effort to divide and vilify Israel. You are not alone in facing this issue. But you do have a chance in Port Townsend to say “no,” to stop the BDS wave, to make it clear to the BDS movement that they cannot continue targeting peaceful, warmer and smaller communities like yours to try for easier “wins.” - Rob Jacobs, StandWithUsNorthwest, P.O. Box 31262, Seattle, WA 98103, 206.548.4350

Click here to get further details about how to join the Port Townsend Food Co-OP so that you can speak at the crucial September 21, 2010 board meeting when a decision will be made regarding the proposed boycott.

Help Us Stop the Proposed Boycott of Israeli Products sold at the Port Townsend Food Co-Op. This boycott is being sponsored by the BDS Movement backed by Palestinian organizations that want nothing more than to see the state of Israel destroyed.